Nikkor 35mm f/2 Lens From 1970s & Use With My D5100

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Sandpatch

Senior Member
One of my brothers has some of my Dad's old Nikon gear and amongst the stuff is a Nikkor 35mm F/2 Lens from the latter 1970s. I do not know if it has been converted to AI.

I am thinking that this might make a nice addition to my D5100, but I have some questions:

Would this 35mm/FX-size lens yield an "as my eyes see" image in my viewfinder the way a modern DX-sized 35mm lens would?

If I use the lens to shoot cars at car shows, would I have to back far away from each car because my D5100 would be looking through the center portion of the lens only?

Would the lens couple to my D5100 if it's not AI converted? (I'm okay with manual metering and manual focus)

Thanks everyone!
 
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RON_RIP

Senior Member
Provided it has no issues, you have a pretty good lens there. It might even be worth having converted to ai, if it is not already. Your going to get the exact same view thru that lens as a new 35mm lens.
 
Bob Blaylock

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
If I am not mistaken, then Nikon's statement about non-AI lenses being compatible with all DSLRs other than the DF model notwithstanding, I think that the D5100, like my D3200, simply cannot tell the difference between an AI and a non-AI lens, and that it would make absolutely no difference to it whether this is a non-AI lens, an AI lens, or a formerly non-AI lens converted to AI.

As far as what to expect with such an old lens…

Obviously, no autofocusing. No lens of that period would have even thought of supporting autofocus, much less had a built-in focusing motor such as the D3??? and D5??? lines require. Seriously consider installing a third-party focus screen; if the screen in the D5100 is anything like the one that came stock in my D3200, it is quite worthless for manual focusing. Go to eBay and do a search for BRESSON FOCUS SCREEN NIKON.

And your camera will only work in M mode, with no metering whatsoever. There's probably a section in your owner's manual that covers lens compatibility, discusses the limitations of such limited-compatibility lenses, and claims that non-AI lenses cannot be used at all. It's page 169 in the D3200 manual. It's wrong about non-AI lenses, though. Non-AI lenses will work just fine, albeit with exactly the same limitations as any non-CPU lenses.


Oh, and yes, a 35mm lens with a DX sensor will give approximately the same field of view than a 50mm would give on an FX sensor or on stone-aged full-frame 35mm film.
 
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